This message is not entitled “exercise” because it is only part of the movement and lack thereof necessary for well-being.
The Recommendation
Only 25% of us receive the substantial health benefits obtained by following the recommended 75-150 minutes of weekly aerobic activity and twice-weekly muscle-strengthening sessions.
This standard does not require excessive time, a personal trainer, a gym, or infomercial fitness equipment. Brisk walking and body weight (push-ups, yoga) exercises fit the bill.
The common excuse is a lack of time, but you can wake up earlier, go to bed later, or use your lunch break. Thankfully, there are exercises you can perform while watching TV. You can do those knee-bending and ab-blasting movements glorified on Instagram and never miss a Bachelor rose ceremony.
Exercise beyond the recommended level may satisfy a desire for accomplishment but does not meaningfully improve your wellness (the 80/20 rule). Running marathons instead of 10Ks lengthens your life span only in the event of the zombie apocalypse.
The benefits of movement are feeling better, better health, and enhanced ability to do your desired lifestyle activities.
The Issue
It is no secret that our lives tend toward the sedentary, sitting more than six hours daily. The typical office job “requires” sitting for hours, and our most popular pastime is screen-watching while flattening a sofa cushion.
A sedentary lifestyle leads to miserable health consequences – a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.
Our attraction to convenience contributes to the problem. We drive to sit in a school pick-up line for a half hour to avoid a ten-minute walk. We eat take-out food to spare meal preparation, deploy Roombas to evade vacuuming, and eschew simple actions to combat sedentariness.
Another Culprit
Absent improbable radical changes, we can (or will) probably do little to avoid the defined sedentary lifestyle. However, we can overcome the most damaging component – prolonged inactivity.
Prolonged inactivity increases the likelihood of early death regardless of other physical activity. Riding the Peloton for 45 minutes every day does not overcome the damage caused by marathon sitting sessions. The solution requires interrupting non-movement with meaningful, periodic activity.
My great-aunt, Zia Maria, did not sit for more than ten minutes at a time. Zia was a veritable jack-in-the-box – constantly getting up to perform tasks as small as clearing dishes off the table, washing a cup, or putting food in the fridge.
When I protested that she should sit and relax, she insisted doing these chores kept her healthy and vital. She was right and remained active until her final year, finally passing shortly before reaching centenarian status.
Fortunately, the solution is as simple as the culprit – do not remain stationary for more than thirty minutes. An app or the Netflix next episode countdown timer can alert you. Breaking the inaction cycle requires more than refilling your snack bowl or relocating to the toilet.
This is one circumstance where I suggest acting inefficiently by performing your household tasks intermittently. Take a break from inactivity to load the dishwasher, wash a pot, break down the Amazon boxes for the recycle bin, or throw away the trash.
Both Sides of My Mouth?
You must also be sedentary to avoid poor health outcomes (???). That is, you must sleep at least seven hours per night, but one-third fail to get it even though sleep deprivation is associated with diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, depression, etc.
No one posts on Facebook about getting a good night’s sleep, and no one will applaud you for doing it. Even Elon Musk, who bragged about and was idolized for not sleeping while building Tesla, now admits the lack of sleep made things worse instead of better.
Admittedly, I am frequently up to see the vampires returning to their coffins, so I can only offer some suggestions and a (self)admonition to take action.
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Like sensible consumption, (non)movement does not require extreme effort but is consistent, purposeful activity coupled with necessary rest. It is not measured by the appearance of our glutes tightly ensconced in Lululemon stretch pants but by the ability to chase after our (grand)children all day.